The right to access the city Nordic urban planning from a disability perspective By Moa Tunström and Linnea Löfving 1 Contents Preface .................................................................................................................................................... 3 Summary ................................................................................................................................................. 4 1 Nordic learning about the inclusive city ......................................................................................... 6 2 Nordic co-operation on disability issues ......................................................................................... 8 3 Concepts matter ........................................................................................................................... 13 4 Users’ narratives ............................................................................................................................ 18 4.1 An everyday urban life for a person with a disability ........................................................... 18 4.2 Packaging the issues ............................................................................................................. 19 4.3 Users’ influence ..................................................................................................................... 20 4.4 Learning from differences and similarities between the Nordic countries ......................... 21 5 Planning and designing inclusive urban spaces in the Nordic Region ......................................... 22 5.1 Trondheim, Norway .............................................................................................................. 22 5.2 Viborg, Denmark ................................................................................................................... 29 5.3 Tampere, Finland .................................................................................................................. 33 5.4 Reykjavik, Iceland ................................................................................................................. 36 5.5 Qeqqata Kommunia, Greenland........................................................................................... 41 5.6 Borås, Sweden ...................................................................................................................... 47 6 Concluding discussion and lessons learned .................................................................................. 52 7 References ..................................................................................................................................... 58 2 Preface As part of the Nordic Co-operation Programme for Regional Development and Planning 2017–2020, three thematic groups were established to consider the following topics: 1. Sustainable rural development 2. Innovative and resilient regions 3. Sustainable cities and urban development The groups were established by the Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for Regional Policy (EK-R), under the Nordic Council of Ministers for Sustainable Growth, with representatives of ministries, national authorities, regional authorities and cross-border co-operation committees. One purpose of the thematic groups is to implement the co-operation programme by contributing to the exchange of knowledge and experience between regional policy stakeholders, promoting Nordic perspectives and highlighting the importance of regional policy for sustainable development and growth. This report is the result of work for the Sustainable Cities and Urban Development thematic group. The group focuses on 1) social sustainability and gender equality, 2) spatial planning, 3) urban qualities in small and medium-sized cities and the urban–rural relationship, and 4) the growth and development of Arctic cities. Within these broad themes, the group decides what activities to conduct, and researchers are responsible for their results. The topic of this report—inclusive urban planning—is high on the Nordic agenda, and there is potential for learning and increased integration. The authors want to thank all of the interviewees from the cities, the participants in the group interview and the Nordic contact people for their valuable contributions, as well as the readers of the draft versions who helped in the final stages of the work. Kristian Elleby Sundquist chair of the Nordic Thematic Group for Sustainable Cities and Urban Development 3 Summary The purpose of this report is to add a disability perspective to the discussion on the inclusive city in the Nordic region. This is done by studying Nordic municipal strategies and planning practices related to accessibility, universal design and inclusion from a disability perspective. In addition, we have included the perspective of users, via representatives of Nordic authorities and non- governmental organizations (NGOs) in the Council of Nordic Co-operation on Disability. The cities in focus are Trondheim in Norway, Viborg in Denmark, Tampere in Finland, Reykjavik in Iceland, Qeqqata Kommunia in Greenland and Borås in Sweden. During this project, information has been gathered by interviewing national and local representatives from the selected countries and cities as well as analysing strategies and policy documents. There has been Nordic co-operation on disability issues within an official Nordic framework since the 1990s, and today the work is primarily performed by the Council of Nordic Co-operation on Disability. Of course, the Nordic co-operation is supported and influenced by international frameworks, the most important being the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), adopted in 2006 and 1989, respectively, and ratified by all five Nordic countries and Faroe Island, Greenland and Åland. According to the UN, the UNCRPD marks a paradigm shift and gives universal recognition to the dignity of persons with disabilities. Even though this report primarily focuses on the city and the local level, the international framework has proven to be of importance. It seems to be especially important in countries early in the process of implementing universal design. For example, in relation to Greenland, it was mentioned that the signing of the UNCRPD resulted in the first steps towards a more accessible society. Universal design has come to be widely used in Norway and to a varying degree in the other Nordic countries as well. The concept came out of the architecture and design field and it reflects an applied approach to social sustainability. However, universal design is also contested and sometimes considered a too academic concept. The interviews for this report indicate that the municipalities welcome a broader discussion about accessibility. For example, in Tampere, Finland, they have gone from talking about accessibility to discussing disability issues in terms of equality. In other cities, concepts such as ‘inclusion’ and ‘sustainability’ are often used to frame accessibility. 4 The report shows the importance of knowledge and maintenance in disability issues. Levels of knowledge and awareness vary across municipalities, but regardless of the progress in the individual municipalities, these are highlighted as important. Regarding maintenance, the challenge is to spread both knowledge and awareness to those involved in maintaining the quality of universal design and accessibility solutions. In Viborg, for example, a cross-sectoral approach has reduced ‘silo thinking’ and spread knowledge about disability issues within the municipal administration. In Norway, the central government has been an important actor in the implementation of universal design, illustrating the importance of national support, monitoring and evaluation. Over several years, initiatives by ministries and agencies have included both comprehensive strategies and more specific measures. Trondheim, which was part of a national pilot project on universal design in 2005, has now reached a point where the city can push the national development of universal design forward. Representatives from Trondheim and Greenland both mentioned the importance of data collection and evaluation for future work. Finally, the report points to the importance of large part of universal design participation and representation in universal design. All the cities in this study emphasize the insights and contributions of people with disabilities in the planning process, in most cases in the form of institutionalized disability councils. To summarize, the lessons learned from this study concern the following topics: • There is growing interest in the many aspects of inclusion • The UNCRPD is useful to overcome challenges of limited mainstreaming • Disability issues often depend on ‘champions’ in local administration • Knowledge and maintenance are key • State support and funding are important for pushing agendas and local practice, but the municipalities can also become drivers • Collecting data and conducting evaluations are important for learning and mainstreaming • Representation is important 5 1 Nordic learning about the inclusive city The topic of this report should be seen in the context of the Nordic Co-operation Programme on Regional Policy and Planning 2017–2020 and its focus on urban social sustainability, urban quality and small and medium-sized cities. Planning for social inclusion has been central to the work